HAM-Video from the ISS

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g8gtz
Posts: 1732
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

HamTV Bulletin #7 March 2, 2014

Post by g8gtz » Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:00 am

HamTV Bulletin #7
March 2, 2014


Ham Video Commissioning now scheduled

The Ham Video transmitter, which is stored in the Columbus module of the International Space Station, will be installed March 6, 2014. The transmitter will be powered on briefly, just the time needed to check that the connection cables to the antenna, to the power supply and to the camera are installed properly. All control LEDs nominal, the transmitter will be considered ready for Commissioning and will be unpowered.
The first Commissioning step is planned March 8. Michael S. Hopkins KF5LJG will power on the Ham Video transmitter in configuration 1:
• ARISS antenna 41
• Frequency 2.422 GHz
• Symbol rate 1.3 Ms/s
The transmission will start shortly before the pass of the ISS over the Matera ground station in south Italy at approximately 13.29 UTC.
The ground station will stream the video over the BATC server http://www.batc.tv/ .Please select Member Streams and ISS.
During the pass, different configurations will be tested with ARISS antenna 41.
After the pass, the Ham Video transmitter will stay powered on in configuration 1 till the following Commissioning step, which is planned Sunday March 9, 2014 at approximately 12.40 UTC.
For about 24 hours, the DATV signal will be transmitted permanently, but the camera will be powered off. The reason is, that the camera is battery powered and no provisions are made for frequent battery replacement. This mode is called "blank" transmission.
During Commissioning step 2, different configurations will again be tested, this time with ARISS antenna 43. The Matera ground station will stream the video over the BATC server.
Possibly, blank transmissions will occur in the period between Commissioning step 2 and the following step, which is not yet planned.
We will circulate Ham TV Bulletins to inform on blank transmissions.
Reports on reception of blank transmissions are very welcome. Reports can be filed via this webpage: http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARIS ... submit.php
Participants using the Tutioune receiving software, developed by Jean Pierre Courjaud F6DZP, can record as well as stream detailed parameters of the received signal. Please see:
http://www.vivadatv.org/
Thank you for your participation

73,
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
ARISS Europe chairman

g4wvu
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 10:42 am

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by g4wvu » Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:44 am

For about 24 hours, the DATV signal will be transmitted permanently, but the camera will be powered off. The reason is, that the camera is battery powered and no provisions are made for frequent battery replacement. This mode is called "blank" transmission.

I'm probably missing the point here but it sounds a bit of an oversight to be transmitting a blank video signal because "no provisions are made for battery replacement" . I'm sure lots of interesting measurements can be made of the TS etc. if you like that sort of thing, however modern cameras use nothing power wise - why isn't the thing powered from the TX supply :?

M0DTS
Posts: 652
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by M0DTS » Sat Mar 08, 2014 2:11 pm

Weak signal seen from ISS here with 1m dish and Septum feed set to what i think is RHCP.
I thought i should have seen more signal, just a few dB of MER at 25deg El.

Will try what i think is LHCP on the next pass to check I've not made a mistake!

Rob

g8gtz
Posts: 1732
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by g8gtz » Sat Mar 08, 2014 4:52 pm

Although I missed today's excitement I have set up all 5 official ISS streams at slightly larger screen size on a single web page so you can watch all 5 at once:

http://www.noelandsally.net/iss/

If any of the "unofficial" receivers (such as G4KLB & M0DTS etc) would like to be include in the ISS category on batc.tv or on this page, email me and I will add it.

Noel G8GTZ

G4IMO

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by G4IMO » Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:52 am

Thanks for the link Noel watching from the Philippines most interesting - Nick G4IMO

G4KLB
Posts: 244
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:46 am

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by G4KLB » Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:27 am

Received the first signal from the ISS this morning :D .
Colin G4KLB
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M0DTS
Posts: 652
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by M0DTS » Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:45 pm

Excellent stuff Colin, you must be benefiting from the high Elevation passes that i don't get!

Some notes from my observations so far:

I tried both RHCP and LHCP without any noticable difference on Sunday 9:30am and 11am passes, i think it should be much different if the ISS antenna has good circularity (how good is the circularity of patch antennas?) - bear in mind this septum feed i'm using is designed for 2.320MHz so circularity maybe poor at 2.4G - (To check).
Sunday 9th Pass at 12:30 I had better signals (still no decode) with linear 'bow tie' feed on the dish compared to the septum feed even when the pass was only max 25deg elevation compared to earlier 35/45deg elevation passes.

All passes so far have shown a trend that the signal only comes up after the ISS has passed due south, i can get lock on signals as low as 4deg to the east whereas i get nothing until ~35deg elevation when it rises from the west, i have very little obstruction in either direction.
I think Colin has noticed this too so must be due to pattern of ISS antenna.. anyone else seen this from UK passes so far?
Will check this again tomorrow as they are using different antenna now.

Rob
M0DTS

KenW6HHC
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:20 pm

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by KenW6HHC » Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:29 pm

What a great first-step for DATV from ISS. I appreciated the iconic video clip that Piero IØKPT provided on BATC streaming on Saturday from the Matera tracking station in Italy. Below is a screen capture from the Casale Monferrato tracking station in Italy. I think that the DATV quality (make that read "signal strength") was better from Matera with less pixilation and audio breakup.

Image
First HamTV transmissions from ISS

YouTube video from Casale Monferrato tracking station in Italy at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkodq_2TshI

My thanks to all the hams who made the "HamTV on ISS" project possible.

73...de Ken W6HHC

G4KLB
Posts: 244
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:46 am

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by G4KLB » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:29 am

Lost a lot of sleep this week but have had excellent results this morning.
The blank transmissions have been very useful for setting up the system.
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G4KLB
Posts: 244
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:46 am

Re: HAM-Video from the ISS

Post by G4KLB » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:54 am

MER of 22 best results so far
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